


Oh, How The Mighty Fall, They Fall In Love

by cardel



Series: Burn Everything You Love, Then Burn The Ashes [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 3x06 spoilers, Angst, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Slash, SPOILERS for ALL of season 3 as episodes air, Stand Alone, a little fluff, a little humor, idk man this episodes made me have all sorts of feels, mentions of Derek/Jennifer, sort of but not really fix-it fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-10
Updated: 2013-07-10
Packaged: 2017-12-18 08:18:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/877637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cardel/pseuds/cardel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moving faster than she's seen him move, Derek forgoes walking down the spiral stair case in favor of leaping off of them.</p>
<p>"Fuck, Derek, you really are alive!" She hears the familiar voice exclaim full of relief and joy.</p>
<p>There are a few seconds of silence and she can only assume Derek is hugging the newcomer by the sound of two bodies, softly, colliding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh, How The Mighty Fall, They Fall In Love

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by S3E06. Unbeta'd. So, so nervous about this one.

The morning after is awkward, they make small talk before Jennifer heads into the bathroom to take a shower. When she's done she goes back into the room to see Derek, who is only wearing his jeans, in the process of putting clean sheets on the bed. She offers to help, he only shakes his head.

Derek has just finished putting clean sheets on his bed when his whole body freezes in the middle of smoothing out a wrinkle. He raises his head. Gaze faraway; he tilts his head a little as if listening for something. A look of what almost looks like fright comes over his eyes.

She doesn’t get the chance to ask him what’s wrong when the sound of the door opening and then slamming shut is heard.

"Derek!" Someone calls out from the first floor. Jennifer thinks the voice sounds familiar but she can’t quite place it.

For his part, Derek’s eyes go wide with surprise and a look that she doesn't recognize because, frankly, she doesn't know him well enough, but it looks like hope crosses his face.

Moving faster than she's seen him move, Derek forgoes walking down the spiral stair case in favor of leaping off of them.

"Fuck, Derek, you really are alive!" She hears the familiar voice exclaim full of relief and joy.

There are a few seconds of silence and she can only assume Derek is hugging the newcomer by the sound of two bodies, softly, colliding.

"I'm going to start thinking you’re secretly a cat with all the lives you seem to have." The familiar voice tells Derek. Derek responds to this by laughing, a low happy sound. She smiles, Derek has a nice laugh.

“Stiles,” Derek says, his voice sounds exasperated yet oddly fond.

Stiles, she thinks. Stiles Stilinski, the name and face come to her mind. That’s who is currently talking to Derek. Stiles, one of her students, the one with the witty jokes, has a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue.

Well, if things were awkward before they're about to get worse. She should have known better. In small towns, everyone always knows everyone; it stands to reason that Derek and Stiles know each other.

***** "I'm serious.  In fact, you should consider yourself lucky that I even took you off my list of suspects," Stiles is telling Derek.

"Both times?" Derek questions his tone playful. Jennifer finds the way Derek sounds when he’s relaxed, fascinating.

Stiles laughs, the sound so light and happy, it makes her smile despite the context of the joke escaping her. "Yes, both times, scratched out with double strikes in red sharpie."

"I'm glad it only took me almost dying to prove that to you," Derek teases.

Jennifer hears Stiles groan. "Man, too soon! We have got to work on your timing. You need to learn how to let enough time pass between life and death situations before you can make jokes out of them," Stiles tells Derek.

Derek says something in reply, too low for her to hear. She looks at her phone and knows she can’t wait out this reunion any longer. She needs to leave if she’s going to make it to her first class on time.

Now or never, she thinks and begins to descend the stairs. "Hello," she greets them feeling awkward. Both men turn to look at her.

Stiles’ smile drops immediately. Jennifer can’t help but notice the glossy look in his eyes, as if he had been crying and he may have been, by the way he wipes quickly at his face with the sleeve of his shirt. She turns to look at Derek and almost laughs at the way Derek looks almost as startled as Stiles does by her presence.

"Ms. Blake!" Stiles says looking at her as if she has a bomb strapped to her chest.

"Umm.” Stiles begins. His hands wind mill comically, his mouth opens but quickly closes again. He gives Derek a panicked look. Derek steps towards him placing a hand on his forearm. The young man stills.

"It's okay. She knows," Derek says softly. This seems, to somehow, be the wrong thing to say. Stiles jerks his arm away from Derek. Derek makes an abortive move to reach for Stiles again; instead he lets his hand drop back to his side.

Jennifer expects the surprise on Stiles’ face. What she doesn't expect, is the look of complete betrayal Stiles sends Derek's way. She expects, even less, the guilty look Derek is giving Stiles. She wonders then, if Stiles is like Derek. Is that the reason why Stiles feels betrayed? Does he not want her to know about werewolves?

"I see.” Stiles blinks. “I'm just, going to go," Stiles says words rushing out.

"Stiles, don't." Derek says almost pleading.

"I was leaving anyway.” Jennifer does not like the uncomfortable mood her presence has brought into the room. “Don't be late for class Mr. Stilinski," she feels the need to add.

"No, Ms. Blake, please stay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to,” Stiles pauses and seems to take in their appearances for the first time and most likely draws the right conclusions, “I didn’t meant to interrupt,” he finishes quietly.

Before she or Derek can say anything he has turned away and is walking to the door. And just as quickly turns to face Derek again and walks back towards him. He stops less than a foot away from Derek.

Despite his obvious anger, Stiles’ proximity to Derek is not one that stems from confrontation. No, his proximity is reminisce to that of people who know and are comfortable enough with each other to be able to invade each other’s personal space with ease. The way Derek doesn’t move and doesn’t tense at Stiles proximity is telling enough.

"No, actually, you know what; screw that because I came here to tell you something important.” Stiles doesn’t shout his tone is a controlled, quiet, anger.

“Your betas were trying to kill themselves. Someone tried to poison them and they started to hallucinate. They’re okay now. They're still pretty shaken up and knowing you’re alive,” Stiles chokes stumbling on the last word. “Knowing your alive will help to settle them." He finishes all anger gone from him.

"Hallucinations caused by poison. Like at Lydia’s party last year?” Derek asks and only now does his body tense. Stiles nods.

“I thought I smelled smoke and gasoline on you. Are you okay?"

Jennifer watches Derek close that small distance between them. Derek takes a hold of Stiles’ shoulders, his eyes running over the young man’s form, eyes scanning Stiles as if Derek posses X-ray vision. At this point she's not sure she could rule that out. Derek's gaze finally seems to settle and linger on Stiles' face.

"I'm fine and clearly you are too," Stiles is saying his tone sharp and angry once again. He tries to, unsuccessfully, shake Derek’s hands off of his shoulders.

"Stiles," Derek’s voice sounds tight and almost as full of pain as it did the night before if not more.

"You need to get in contact with your betas." Stiles insists.

"Stiles," Derek begins again but no further words escape his mouth. Jennifer has seen, Derek, is not a man of many words but this, this is different. This isn’t a man who has no words but a man who has too many words and can't seem to settle on the right ones. Doesn’t know which words to choose to use to sooth and alleviate instead of causing anger and rejection.

Clarity catches Jennifer by surprise. Her heart clenches looking at the two men before her. She hadn't known how spot-on her Romeo and Juliet analogy had been; star-crossed lovers.

What she and Derek shared last night was born from need, from desperation for reaffirmation but this, what she's witnessing is a like the birthing of a sapling.

It is a new, fragile and tender thing. It is so easy to see, though, it will be nurtured, cared for and guarded so fiercely that this young sapling will grow and mature into a mighty oak. A mighty oak full of rings and rings that will represent all the years that will make up their history.

With resolution settling in her bones, Jennifer walks towards the two men. She notices how Derek has started to rub small circles into Stile’s shoulder, weather the touch is intentional or not doesn’t matter what matter is how Stiles reacts. Stiles relaxes again, anger no longer warping his features.

Watching them makes her feel longing to have the same thing and though she will miss Derek she can't help but to feel lucky to, at the very least, be able to claim a ring in their growth. She comes to a stop next to them.

“Derek.” They, once again, turn to look at her as if surprised by her presence, this time she does laugh. “You should listen to Stiles and go see your friends,” she says to Derek.

To Stiles she says, “You should take him, I won’t mark you tardy for your first class.”

Stiles frowns. "Wait, what? Really?" When she nods, he agrees. "I, okay."

“Now, if you gentleman will excuse me, I have a class to teach,” She tells them as she walks towards the door.

“Jennifer,” Derek calls after her. She stops and turns. “Thank you,” his eyes are grateful and his voice is sincere. Jennifer smiles and nods before closing the door behind her.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am so stupidly happy with how this installment turned out and I really hope you guys like it just as much!  
> *I left out this line when I originally posted this and just now realized it holy writing/editing fail, doh! Edited 7-27-13


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